↑ Screenshot of the series ‘The Eclipse’ ↑
The Eclipse BL series review – If there is one series that completely changed my brain chemistry, it’s The Eclipse. My very first BL. The one that started it all. And honestly? Nothing has hit quite the same since.
For context, The Eclipse (2022) is set in a strict all-boys school where rules control everything, and stepping out of line isn’t just discouraged, it’s punished. There’s this whole mystery about a “curse,” a new student (Ayan) who clearly isn’t there just to follow the rules, and Akk, the head prefect who is the rules. And somehow, in the middle of all that, you get this slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance that absolutely wrecks you.
And yes… I did get secondhand embarrassment at times. But I don’t care. I am still deeply, emotionally, unwell about this show.
Because underneath the school setting and the “curse” storyline, this series is heavy. Like actually heavy. It deals with things like mental health, (inner) homophobia, the pressure of expectations, and what it does to a person when they feel like they have no way out. It’s not just a love story, it’s about survival in a system that constantly tries to control who you are.
Characters
And no one represents that better than Akk (played by First Kanaphan).
Akk is one of the most painfully relatable characters I’ve ever seen. The constant pressure to be who everyone expects you to be. To follow the rules. To be “good.” To carry responsibility that was never meant to be carried alone. To push down parts of yourself because they don’t fit the image people have of you.
That feeling of slowly breaking under expectations while still trying to hold everything together? Yeah. That’s Akk.
Script that just hit
There’s this line: “you can’t carry all problems on your shoulders. you have to put yourself first.” And it hits because Akk never does. He keeps going. Keeps holding on. Keeps trying to be everything for everyone… until he can’t anymore.
And that breakdown scene? Genuinely one of the most painful things I’ve ever watched.
When Akk gets outed in front of the entire school by Thua, that moment feels like a horror movie. Not in a jump scare way, but in that deep, suffocating, can’t-breathe kind of way. The kind where your chest tightens because you know there’s no escape. Being exposed like that, losing control over your own story, in a place that already doesn’t feel safe? It’s terrifying.
And then later, when he finally breaks down in front of Ayan… that’s the moment that stays with me forever.
“You’re allowed to be weak. At least with me.”
The way Akk just… cracks. After holding everything in for so long. The pressure, the expectations from the school, the fear, the confusion about himself, all of it finally spilling out. And Ayan just being there. Not trying to fix it. Just being there.
That kind of softness in the middle of so much heaviness? It destroys me every time.
And then there are the themes the show quietly builds around that.
“The world changes every day, who are you to control that?”
“Our nature is the same like everyone else’s. Don’t give a shit about what they think. At least we are normal in each other’s eyes.”
This show constantly questions authority, control, and the idea of what is considered “normal.” It’s about rebellion, but not just loud, obvious rebellion, also the quiet kind. The kind where choosing to be yourself is already an act of resistance.
Actors
And then there’s First and Khaotung.
I genuinely think they are some of the best actors in the industry, and I will stand by that. This was their first series together and they set the tone so high it’s actually insane. The chemistry between them? It’s not just in the big moments, it’s in the smallest looks, the eye contact, the way they act with their eyes more than anything else.
Every scene between Akk and Ayan feels intense. Real. Like there’s always something unspoken underneath.
Khaotung especially shocked me. I was so used to seeing him in lighter, more playful roles, and then he comes in as Ayan with this depth, this quiet intensity, this emotional complexity… yeah. I was not okay.
And overall, there’s just something about this series; the cinematography, the atmosphere, the pacing, that pulls you in completely. It’s moody, it’s emotional, it’s uncomfortable at times, but in a way that feels necessary.
I’ve watched a lot of LGBTQIA+ series, but this one? This one stays.
Not because it’s perfect. But because it feels something. Deeply.
And I’m still not over it.
So yeah… if any of this even slightly intrigued you, here’s the trailer. Go watch it.
